1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to recovery of code installed on a computing system and, more particularly, to a system and method for reverting to an older version of installed code, if the installation of a newer version is unsuccessful.
2. Background Information
In a computing system, there is often a need for the system software to be upgraded. The upgrade is usually performed by way of installing new software code on the system hardware. In certain systems, restore points are implemented, so that the software code can be restored to a known prior functional state, if the upgrade fails.
Unfortunately, in most instances, if the upgrade is not successful the system is, typically, shutdown and human intervention is necessary to restore the system to the old code level, so that the system can continue to operate properly.
In certain systems the system may automatically recover by restoring the system code to a prior known functional state. In this manner, the system may be able to reinstate or continue its operating status without a need for human intervention. Nevertheless, the recovery process generally either degrades system performance or interrupts the system's operation altogether.
In computing environments where the continued and uninterrupted operation of the computing system is critical, the above-noted recovery schemes are unacceptable, because any downtime or reduced performance in the operation of the system will result in significant losses to the enterprise that relies on the seamless operation of the system.
Therefore, methods and systems are needed that can avoid any system downtime or performance degradation, when system software is upgraded, or restored due to an unsuccessful upgrade procedure.